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McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce: calories and sugar by portion, age and sex

Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce at 1% of an adult’s daily calories, 35% of the daily sodium limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 1.0 teaspoons of added sugar.

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce? It contains 25 calories, 0g of fat (0g saturated), 4g of added sugar and 530mg of sodium.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own. Add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert, then choose your age and sex, and switch between US and UK guidance, for a more accurate view of how a Mighty Hot Sauce fits into a day.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce

Calories25
Total fat0g
of which saturated0g
Trans fat0g
Carbohydrate6g
Total sugars5g
Includes added sugars4g
Fibre0g
Protein0g
Sodium530mg

Nutrition figures are McDonald’s USA published data, per item as sold and before any optional sauces or extras. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce contains 25 calories, which is 1% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value used on US food labels. It provides 0g of total fat, of which 0g is saturated, 5g of total sugars (4g added), 530mg of sodium, 0g of protein and 0g of fibre.

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce is a single manufactured product. Across the whole item the ingredient list names modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, flavour enhancers and preservatives. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, storage and transport.

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce carries a large share of a child’s daily sodium

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce contains 530mg of sodium, which is 35% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8.

FDA Daily Values (2,000-calorie diet)

Calories2,000
Total fat78g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate275g
Added sugars50g
Fibre28g
Sodium2,300mg
Protein50g

Added sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce

4g of the 5g counts as added sugar, or about 1.0 teaspoons. The other 1g is naturally occurring. Under UK rules, sugar from juice, purée and concentrate is counted too, which makes 5g of free sugar.

Added sugars come from

  • sugar, apricot concentrate

Naturally occurring sugars come from

  • sugars naturally present in the Mighty Hot Sauce

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030: no more than 10g of added sugar per meal from age 11 and none for children aged 10 and under. FDA Daily Value: 50g a day. Sources are read from the published ingredient list for each component.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing and additives: McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce is a single manufactured product. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, flavour enhancers and preservatives. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.

Modified starches

Starches altered industrially to thicken, bind or hold texture through freezing and reheating. Found in the Mighty Hot Sauce.

Thickeners and gums

Thicken sauces, fillings and drinks and stop them separating. Found in the Mighty Hot Sauce.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the Mighty Hot Sauce.

Flavour enhancers

Boost savoury taste so less of the underlying ingredient is needed. Found in the Mighty Hot Sauce.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the Mighty Hot Sauce.

Boone classifies McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, September 2026.

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce contains at least 19 distinct ingredients: 11 raw and 8 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 62, of which 33 are manufactured. Raw means something you could buy and cook with at home; manufactured means a substance that only exists as an output of industrial processing.

Ingredient count by order: McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce

What you orderRawManufacturedTotal% manufactured
McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce on its own1181942%
McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce + medium fries14122646%
McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce + fries + a dip20183847%
McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola21204149%
McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce + fries + dip + drink + an OREO McFlurry29336253%

The 8 manufactured ingredients

corn starch, modified corn starch, natural flavor, oleoresin capsicum, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, xanthan gum, yeast extract.

The 11 raw ingredients

apricot concentrate, cayenne red peppers, chili pepper, garlic, garlic powder, salt, soybean oil, spice, sugar, vinegar, water.

What those ingredients are, by type

Fruit, vegetables and nuts4
Other additives and processing aids3
Flavourings and extracts3
Herbs and spices2
Starches2
Water1
Acids and acidity regulators1
Sugars and syrups1
Salt and minerals1
Oils and fats1

Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on McDonald’s published component lists, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in four components counts once. Additive class names are dropped and the named substance kept, so “leavening (baking soda)” counts baking soda once. Ice and water added at the counter are not counted. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Every figure here is a minimum. The build uses a Sweet ’n Sour sauce.

Ingredients

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce is listed by McDonald’s USA as a single component.

Ingredients by component: McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce

Mighty Hot Sauce

Water, Vinegar, Sugar, Chili Peppers, Cayenne Red Peppers, Salt, Apricot Concentrate, Garlic, Starch (modified Corn Starch, Corn Starch), Contains 2% Or Less: Spices, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavors, Soybean Oil, Oleoresin Capsicum, Garlic Powder, Preservatives (sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate), Yeast Extract.

Ingredients taken from the McDonald’s USA product pages, retrieved September 2026, with obvious spelling errors corrected. Recipes change - always check in restaurant before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce does not declare any of the nine major US allergens.

Allergen information: McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce

AllergenStatus
MilkNot declared
EggsNot declared
FishNot declared
Crustacean shellfishNot declared
Tree nutsNot declared
PeanutsNot declared
WheatNot declared
SoybeansNot declared
SesameNot declared

Contains = declared by McDonald’s USA. May contain = McDonald’s states the allergen may be present. McDonald’s prepares food in shared kitchens, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free. UK rules also require barley, oats, mustard, celery and sulphites to be declared; these are shown where the ingredient list names them. Retrieved September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce contains 25 calories, which is 1% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value and 2% of the daily needs of a moderately active child aged 4 to 8.

How much added sugar is in a McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce contains 4g of added sugar, about 1.0 teaspoons, which is 8% of the 50g FDA Daily Value.

Is McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce within US sugar guidance for children?+

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 recommend no added sugar for children aged 10 and under and no more than 10g per meal from age 11. With 4g of added sugar, McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce fits the per-meal limit for ages 11 and up but not the guidance for younger children.

How much sodium is in a McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce?+

McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce contains 530mg of sodium. Boone calculates that as 35% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 23% of the 2,300mg adult limit.

Is McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it is a single manufactured product and contains modified starches, thickeners and gums, flavourings, flavour enhancers and preservatives. NOVA group 4 describes how far a food is from its whole-food form, not how nutritious it is.

Is McDonald's US Mighty Hot Sauce suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis flags that its 530mg of sodium is 35% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8; its 4g of added sugar is above the Dietary Guidelines advice of no added sugar for children aged 10 and under. That does not make it off limits, but it does mean a Mighty Hot Sauce uses up a large share of a young child’s day in one item.